Today's hamburgers (like this one with customized beef from NYC's Minetta Tavern) have come a long way from the toast-and-ground-steak-trimmings sandwich created at Connecticut's Louis' Lunch on July 28, 1900.

The history of the hamburger is controversial. Several people throughout history have claimed to be its inventor, including a man named Louis Lassen. On July 28, 1900 at his restaurant Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, Lassen constructed a prototype when he sandwiched ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast for a man who asked for a meal he could eat on the go. The Original Burger on sliced bread is still served by the family-run tavern today.